Snow skis are one of the oldest forms of personal transportation in winter conditions. Snow skis are favoured as a mode of personal transportation because they permit forward locomotion on downhill inclines with limited exertion. Climbing in skis can, however, be a very laborious process. Much ingenuity has been invested in developing ways to permit climbing while maintaining the ability to glide on a downhill slope. Waxes have been developed for that purpose but waxes generally have a very limited operational temperature range.
It was long ago observed that certain sea mammals have the ability to slither up snow covered slopes and slide down the slopes with great efficiency. Strips of the hide of those mammals were attached to the underside of skis to permit a skier to climb hills and glide downhill slopes. It was soon discovered, however, that keeping those "climbing skins" attached to the skis was a significant challenge. Many systems have subsequently been developed for attaching climbing skins to skis. All known systems have certain disadvantages. Some are difficult to mount or dismount. Others are bulky to transport. Some interfere with normal ski response. And, some permit the climbing skin to slide laterally from under the ski when traverses on steep slopes are attempted.
Climbing skins have now been replaced by woven fabrics with a slant pile hereinafter referred to as "climbing fabric". Climbing fabrics are commonly treated with a latex or plastic sealant to keep them dry in wet snow conditions. Such climbing fabrics are used for both recreational and military applications. They are particularly useful for wilderness skiing in mountainous regions where slopes are too steep for practical use of waxes and/or large temperature fluctuations due to rapid changes of elevation prohibit efficient use of wax. They are also favoured for military applications where sure footing is at least as important as quick movement over the snow.
As noted above, a significant disadvantage of prior art systems has been their ease of use and/or their bulk. For wilderness skiing it is important to have a system for mounting climbing fabric which is quickly and easily installed or removed from the ski. This permits the climbing fabric to be used during uphill treks and removed for extended downhill glides, even while skiing in very cold or inclement weather. Likewise, it is important to provide a system for mounting climbing fabric which folds easily into a small, light-weight bundle when not in use to permit a skier to transport the system in a pocket or a small pack. This permits the skier to use the climbing fabric for ascending slopes and to remove it for long downhill glides.
There therefore still exists a need for a light-weight secure system for mounting climbing fabric to a ski.